


Alliance

by Mistress_of_Vos



Category: Batman (Comics), Batman - All Media Types, DCU (Comics), Red Robin (Comics)
Genre: AU, Age Difference, Carrier verse, Crossdressing, Forced Marriage, M/M, No Beta, Older Man/Younger Man, Purple Prose, Ra'sTim Week, Royalty, Underage - Freeform, i think, mentions of mpreg, rastim week
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-15
Updated: 2021-02-15
Packaged: 2021-03-16 15:54:40
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, Underage
Chapters: 1
Words: 10,637
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29456319
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Mistress_of_Vos/pseuds/Mistress_of_Vos
Summary: “You are going to marry me to Ra's,” Tim mused.Tim, prince of Gotham, was going to be empress of Nanda Parbat.
Relationships: Tim Drake/Ra's al Ghul
Comments: 4
Kudos: 68
Collections: Ra'sTim Week 2021





	Alliance

**Author's Note:**

> Carrier verse is basically a world with male omegas but the rest are betas. It's very common in spanish and usually the word doncel is used. If by any chance you see Tim being referred to as maiden instead of carrier it's because that's the literal translation. If you read my fic "Viper" you already know all of this.

**Day 1:** _Arranged marriage_

*

*

When Timothy was nine years old, the kingdom of his father, King Bruce Wayne, received a very special guest.

It was Emperor Ra's al Ghul, supreme ruler of Nanda Parbat and who had enough power to destroy Gotham with a snap of his fingers.

That day, Queen Selina, Tim's mother, kept the little prince with her in his room for hours, trying to distract him from all the bustle outside the room. Soldiers everywhere, generals from both kingdoms, princes with forced talks; the palace was a constant tremor of frightened servants running carrying cups of tea and rolls.

Depending on what happened that day, it would be decided if Gotham would become an ally of Nanda Parbat or if they would go to war to be destroyed as happened to Metropolis a short time ago.

After several hours of confinement, Queen Andrea, King Bruce's first wife, entered the room in agitation, locking the door immediately. As if she wanted to hide from someone.

"Selina, you won't believe what's happening."

The second queen rolled her cat eyes; until a few moments ago, she had been stroking little Tim's hair to make him fall asleep on the cushions of the bed.

"Andrea, don't speak so loud, please."

"Sorry," said the brown-haired woman before lowering her volume, "But I got Jason and Dick to tell me a few things about the reunion by running into them in the garden."

Andrea, Bruce's first wife, was the mother of princes Richard (Dick) and Jason, who had already been introduced in society and therefore had the right to attend their father's meeting with Emperor Ra's. From the first time Dick had attended a military meeting, his mother had dedicated herself to forcing him to tell her everything, stating that it was unfair for queens to be kept in exile from the knowledge of their own kingdom.

Selina, who until now had only given birth to Timothy, did not agree very much with this way of acting of her predecessor, but admitted that the information was appreciated, since otherwise she would be completely dependent on her husband. That was what she hated the most about being queen.

"What have the princes told you?" Selina asked, tapping the space on the bed next to her. Andrea sat down wearily.

"The good side is that there won't be a war."

"And the bad side?"

Andrea sighed.

"Well, Emperor Ra's has seen no other way to consolidate the truce than with a marriage."

Selina blinked and then looked at her little son who was sleeping peacefully.

Tim was a special prince, not because he was the son of the second wife (which took away his right to be king) but because he was a carrier.

Selina remembered the surprise that had invaded her when the doctor told her after the delivery (because carriers were recognized from birth, the human body does not create organs overnight), she remembered taking her baby in arms and think how she, who had not even wanted to marry, had given birth to a miracle.

Timothy's birth had been celebrated for weeks, this as a carrier prince was said to bring fortune and abundance to the kingdoms. So far, Timothy was the third carrier prince in all of Gotham's history, so it remained to be seen if those superstitions were true. In any case…

"Tell me that Bruce has not tried to marry Timothy to the emperor," Selina murmured with fear.

Andrea's eyes widened and she proceeded to deny forcefully.

"No! Bruce is not such a cruel man, my dear,” the older woman explained before taking a breath, “Emperor Ra's already has a first-born, Prince Dusan; who already has a wife. What the emperor is looking for is someone to rule the colony he has created in Metropolis ..."

"What does that mean?"

“He has offered Bruce the hand in marriage of his youngest daughter, Princess Talia. The son who comes out of their union will rule Metropolis."

Selina cocked her head.

"But why Bruce and not Jason?"

Andrea shrugged.

“I think Ra's has been able to see the rivalry between Dick and Jason. They are the only ones who can claim the throne if Bruce dies. He probably wants to avoid the conflicts that can occur if Jason ends up being king of Gotham,” commented the first queen with some doubt, clearly that information was only half true.

The cat-eyed queen frowned and cupped her chin.

“Well, that would make sense. If Bruce takes a third wife, their son cannot claim the throne. That would avoid any kind of internal litigation,” Selina said almost to herself.

"I think. But the important thing is that Bruce will take a third wife in a few months and then have another child. That will ensure peace in the kingdom…” Andrea sighed.

Selina raised an eyebrow, "You don't sound satisfied."

"No, or well… Personally, I think it was a very good option, but…"

"But?"

Andrea rubbed the back of her neck.

“I don't know, Dick says that the emperor was very insistent. That can't be good, right?"

"You don't think he's trying to get rid of his daughter, do you?"

"And what am I going to know?"

At that moment, Tim woke up to ask his mother for a glass of water.

*

*

Tim was just ten years old when the third marriage of his father, King Bruce, took place.

Gotham allowed kings to take three wives, and while most had always assumed that Bruce had left the third slot in case of he needing an alliance, now, at his wedding to Princess Talia al Ghul, this was proven to some extent.

Either way, Tim was with his mother sitting on the church bench, next to Andrea and her two children, who had unfriendly faces despite the celebratory atmosphere of the Church.

The carrier allowed himself to look at the bride with curiosity. Since he was Selina's son, he had never had a chance to see a royal wedding, and he was stunned by the opulence and beauty of the celebration. Most of all, he was impressed with the foreign princess's elegant white dress.

It was very long, with an embroidery alien to those used in Gotham, and above the cloth glittered emeralds brought from Nanda Parbat.

She was a very beautiful woman, and Tim wondered if she was like Miss Andrea, who treated him like her son despite not being his mother. He hoped she was.

But the other aspect that caught the carrier's attention was Emperor Ra's, the man who delivered the princess on the altar and who stood throughout the ceremony despite the priest indicating that they could sit.

The man was so much taller than his father Bruce, with a face that was several years older and green eyes that sparkled in the distance.

Tim, in his childishness, had wanted to go and pull on the neat cape the man wore on his shoulders, which looked like the softest fabric in the entire world. Luckily, Selina had noticed his curiosity and made him sit up and stay still; almost falling asleep before the aroma of flowers and the monotonous voice of the priest reciting in the total silence of the Church.

After what seemed like hours, the ceremony was concluded and amid the celebration of the people, the nobles boarded their carriages to attend the banquet in the palace.

There, the families stood on opposite sides. Bruce was at the head of the table and Ra's at the opposite. To Bruce's left (Ra's right) were the al Ghul, starting with Talia, the new and third queen of Gotham, followed by her brother Prince Dusan with his wife and young daughter (even younger than Timothy), ending with Princess Nyssa and her husband.

On the other hand, Queen Andrea was first in the chair closest to Bruce, followed by Dick and Jason in that order. Then Selina and ending with Timothy.

Tim was the Wayne who was closest to the emperor, although there was an empty chair in the corner, so he really was not that close, however, the carrier was unable to contain his childish curiosity and from time to time he looked up from his plate to see the emperor up and down.

Up close, he looked much more intimidating, with an aura of power and arrogance that was clearly affecting everyone present, especially the Wayne family and King Bruce himself, who had never been a fan of dealing with men as proud as himself.

“It has been a magnificent evening, Your Majesty. But it is time for my family and for me to retire, the way back to Nanda Parbat is quite long,” Ra's said as he stood up, followed immediately by his family (except Talia, who now had to answer to Bruce).

The King of Gotham stood up and forced a smile.

“I understand, Your Highness. It has been an honor to have your presence; your family will always be welcome here. "

With that exchange of words, the al Ghul left without saying anything else, except for Dusan's little daughter, Mara. She smiled before leaving and waved her hand in the direction of Talia.

"Goodbye!" she exclaimed in her shrill voice as she lost herself along with the rest of the family in the long corridor that led out of the palace.

Once their footsteps were overheard, Tim allowed himself to breathe out and relax his posture, then reach out his hand and steal the slice of dessert Selina had left behind.

"Tim," his mother chided softly before smiling and ruffling his hair.

And after that night, Tim did not see Emperor Ra's al Ghul again.

*

*

The thing was that just a week after the wedding, what would later become known as the Eastern War broke out, a horrible battle between Gotham and the alliance of three enemy kingdoms, one of them the state of the Joker, a cruel and bloodthirsty general who was famous for publicly executing his enemies.

But Tim was still a child, little did he know about it at the time. What marked his experience was that Bruce, being the king, went into battle accompanied by Prince Dick, leaving Prince Jason as temporary regent supported by a council of nobles who were too old or ill to go to war.

After a brief farewell to the children and his now three wives, King Bruce quietly set off to the battlefield, accompanied by his firstborn and his knight. Tim would remember his father's hand stroking his cheek one last time before watching him leave with his army for battle.

As a prince, Timothy saw little of the ravages of war, as the capital was protected by its high walls and was almost completely self-sufficient. Tim did not hear the cries for help of hundreds of people nor did he see the bloodshed in those bloody encounters.

What Tim did live, was the change in the dynamics of the palace.

Despite being only sixteen years old, Jason received all the respect that Bruce had had until the moment of his departure, in addition to taking on all the work that involved being king even without being one.

It was true that he had the council organized by Bruce, but even so it was difficult to make so many decisions with the war they had to fund and without the young men's vision available. For this reason, Jason went from being a brotherly figure to Tim to being an authority figure, as the older began to spend all his time exercising his power and fulfilling the obligations that had been given to him. Jason even began to look for a wife.

This had greatly alerted Queen Andrea, who brought it up to Selina, and Tim listened to them while they believed he was busy playing the piano (being a carrier, Selina refused to leave him alone with his teachers; something that Tim would understand several years later). Apparently, Queen Andrea was concerned that Jason was considering challenging Richard for his right to the throne.

After all, Dick went to war without being married before, which was natural considering he was only twenty, but it was something Jason could take advantage of if Dick returned injured or ill while he was still healthy and with a hypothetical heir.

Tim did not understand much about how certain aspects of the aristocracy worked at that time, for example, something that did not enter his head, was that relations with Nanda Parbat remained tense (in the words of the prince regent), and it was not until much later that the situation made sense in his mind.

Given that Bruce left so early, it was no surprise that Talia did not get pregnant. At first this didn't matter much, but as the war spread and spread, it began to annoy both Gotham's nobles and Emperor Ra's who was miles away from her, but who, according to what Selina's maiden whispered when no one was watching, he sent letters every week, pressuring her to have a child as soon as Bruce returned to the palace.

However, the war spread and spread, to the point that Tim turned twelve and Bruce still didn't come back.

In turn, when he got twelve, Tim woke up with blood on his sheets and a horrible pain in his hips, causing him to scream in terror.

Tim was examined by the royal physician under the intense gaze of Selina and Andrea, until the physician calmly said that the carrier was in perfect condition and had already begun his adolescence.

The boy had blinked his blue eyes, confused as to how the pain that tormented him (and on top of that, the bleeding!) could mean something good, but since Selina seemed relieved, he didn't bother to understand.

When the doctor left, Tim began to be instructed in female secrets that, although were not secrets per se, were whispered as if they were.

 _The menstruation. Sex. Childbirth. Contraceptives_. Everything was explained in great detail by Andrea and Selina and the new maid assigned to Tim, a girl just four years older than him named Stephanie.

Fortunately, despite entering their teens, Selina and Jason had come to terms with Tim's situation (though Tim blushed as he imagined his older brother hearing details about his physical development), letting him continue to dress as a man and that he wore female attire only when necessary, that is, until his debut in society, he did not have to wear a dress outside of the royal balls, which were very rare due to the war.

That was a great relief for Tim, who was able to continue studying and exercising like nothing else; wearing pants and with his hair over his shoulders.

After that event that marked a before and after in Tim's calendar, things continued their course.

Jason ruled locked in the throne room. Andrea and Selina lived by protecting Tim from the gazes of the guards and Talia… Talia was ignored in an almost cruel way, to the point that Tim tried to get close once, only to be gently rejected with a most lonely look.

It wasn't until Tim was fourteen that King Bruce returned.

His knight Harvey had died, and Bruce now had a horrible scar on his cheek.

Prince Dick also returned. Completely unharmed, but with a darkness in his eyes that would never disappear.

One of the first things King Bruce had done when he returned was to look Timothy up and down before laughing honestly and catching him in a hug.

"Good heavens, it's like seeing you, Selina," he said fondly and ruffling his youngest son's hair, who was already shining with the strength of adolescence. Much taller and curvier, away from that infant whose cheek he had stroked before leaving.

Dick was also surprised to see the change in his little brother, who was getting closer to matchmaking age by the day (seventeen years was the tradition in Gotham, although Selina had mentioned wanting to wait until eighteen, just as she had done; which would allow the carrier a little more freedom). Dick had kissed his cheeks with enthusiasm and then was reprimanded by Queen Andrea forcefully, reminding Dick that now Tim was no longer a little boy and that he should respect him as he would respect a lady.

That aside, Bruce's return was triumphant and full of celebration. Gotham had managed to emerge victorious and now had much more territory to grow and harvest food, as well as a new port for its ships (Tim still did not understand at the time, but Gotham had colonized and enslaved the defeated kingdoms).

Just two nights after Bruce's return, Selina went to Tim's room and asked Steph to leave them alone. Once free of third parties, the queen proceeded to tell her son that now that the king had returned it was likely that Talia would become pregnant soon, as the woman was still young and healthy, and Bruce was still in need of that heir in charge of keeping the peace between Gotham and Nanda Parbat.

The carrier asked what was the relationship between that and his person, to which his mother replied that in reality there was not much, not while the baby did not exist. Once he was born, and more importantly, once he ruled Metropolis, it would be important for Tim to stay on his good side, as that heir would be favored by Emperor Ra's.

Tim had to make sure that the unborn baby looked at him fondly, and that, if one day another war broke out, he would remember his helpless carrier brother who lived in Gotham.

The blue-eyed man couldn't help frowning in annoyance, to which Selina had to explain that she knew it was humiliating to be thinking about winning the affection of a child who had not yet been born (because if it was a woman, it could not rule), but that he should keep it in mind from now on. How Talia viewed him (Tim) would affect how her son would view him as well, so it was important that Tim began to be more careful with the third queen.

And Timothy did so, obeying his mother's advice by trusting that she had much more experience in the world and in her love for him, so he was much kinder and more respectful to Talia, making sure to always smile at her and ask her questions with kindness if she wanted to join him and Selina during the afternoon mass.

But that effort would turn out to be in vain, since time passed and passed, and although everyone knew that Bruce and Talia shared a room, she showed no signs of being pregnant.

Despite this, perhaps the matter would not have been so troublesome had it not been for what happened next. 

After two long years of waiting, Bruce seemed to have lost his patience, and one night when Tim (now sixteen) had gone to visit Selina in her room to discuss a change in his language tutor, Bruce entered the room with fury and disappointment.

Tim didn't need words to know he should go, and he didn't ask any questions the next day when he saw his mother wear a long neck in the middle of summer and her cheeks flushed at breakfast.

The carrier preferred to avoid the trauma and avoided visiting his mother's room for four long weeks, until the woman told him personally that he could do it again, _just knock first_ , she said.

This event was what turned Talia’s situation into chaos, because less than three months after Tim left his mother's room ashamed, the doctor confirmed that the woman was pregnant again. Thus, Selina's pregnancy completely destroyed the theory that Bruce was too old to be a father, which was what had kept his anger at bay.

While Selina was carrying her second pregnancy calmly and accompanied by her teenage son, Talia was forced by Bruce himself to go through all kinds of shame and humiliation with the excuse that it would improve her fertility.

So many things were seen and heard in the palace at that time that Timothy felt sorry for the woman.

After the delivery of Selina, who gave birth to a beautiful girl named Helena, Bruce decided to put an end to the situation with Talia, and sent an embassy to Nanda Parbat to communicate with Ra's.

_Talia was sterile. Ra's had given Bruce a sterile woman._

The only reason for Bruce not throwing Talia out of the palace was that the unstable alliance with Emperor Ra's depended on her, but it was clear what Bruce wanted: A divorce.

The problem was, there weren't many options for forging another alliance. Contrary to Gotham, Nanda Parbat only allowed men to have a wife and vice versa, so the idea of marrying Tim to Prince Dusan was scrapped from conception during a talk between the king and the two princes.

Nyssa was already married with children, two boys. But marrying one of them to Helena would take almost twenty years, and Ra's seemed hell-bent on wanting a high-ranking marriage, so the idea of marrying Mara to Jason was also scrapped.

Emperor Ra's had been a widower for years, and that was what had ruled out the option of marrying him to Tim (or Helena, now that the first princess had been born), since according to the tradition of his people he could not remarry until his mourning ended... In fact, if Bruce was right, that mourning was supposed to end that year.

Without being very sure of the agreement they would reach, Bruce sent his embassy, and after five days, they returned in the company of the emperor himself and a handful of soldiers from Nanda Parbat.

That occasion Tim did not witness a beautiful ceremony or an elegant and uncomfortable dinner, instead, he saw the emperor walk furiously towards his own daughter to slap her in front of everyone.

The carrier was so scandalized that Stephanie had to pull him back, preventing him from interfering in the encounter.

"Your Majesty, I think we have a lot to talk about," Ra's said casually, without even looking at Talia, who had fallen to the ground due to the blow.

Bruce and Ra's disappeared for hours, not even showing up at lunchtime, where for the first time Tim saw the queens Selina and Andrea consoling his father's third wife.

In the evening, Tim imagined what had happened during that long conversation, as he and his mother were called to the king's study, where he asked them to sit down and talk quietly. An empty glass was visible on the desk next to an open bottle of wine.

And Bruce didn't drink unless he had to steel himself.

"Timothy... This alliance is very important to Gotham, you know that, right?"

There was no need to explain the matter, Tim understood his duty as a prince, and Selina did too. His mother could do nothing to change the destiny of her son, so she limited herself to holding his hands, giving him the strength to hear what was coming.

“Talia cannot give birth to the heir we need to keep us at peace with Nanda Parbat, and we have been weakened too much with this last war. We need Emperor Ra's on our side,” his father continued to explain as gently as possible, and although Bruce was a king and although he had been raised to do what was necessary for his kingdom, he could not help but feel disgusted by what he was going to do.

“You are going to marry me to Ra's,” Tim mused, his voice shaking, eyes threatening to cry even as his mind repeated that it was his duty to serve his people, that it had been his duty ever since the moment he was born.

The King of Gotham nodded almost in pain and Selina squeezed her eyes shut.

“I understand, father. It is my duty,” the carrier said, forcing himself not to cry and forcing his face to show no emotion.

But it hurt him intensely, the very idea that they were going to marry him to a man he only knew by sight, the idea that he would never know true love, that he would not have the opportunity to go to dances in search of suitors his age... He would have to leave Gotham.

Bruce stood up and caressed his cheek just as he had done before leaving for war.

"I'm so sorry, son ..."

But that was the world where they lived.

*

*

Ra's left immediately, taking Talia with him.

Tim, still in his nightgown and weak in body from the news, watched him march in his elegant carriage from his balcony, the wind blowing lightly and messing his hair.

The next time they met, it would be in very different circumstances...

*

*

The first step was to advance Timothy's debut to the soonest possible.

Just as Bruce had imagined, Ra's mourning for his late wife had ended almost a year ago, and he had no problem telling the King of Gotham that, were it not for the pitiful situation and the enforced need to reverse roles by marrying Timothy, he would have taken for his wife a pretty woman of his own court.

Ra's was making a sacrifice that benefited Gotham more than Nanda Parbat, neither Bruce nor Timothy nor the Gotham court should ever forget that.

Because of all this, Timothy's debut took place before his seventeenth birthday. A beautiful and very expensive party in the royal palace with hundreds of gifts and guests gathered only to see the carrier prince being presented to the world as what sadly was his role: A bargaining chip.

Emperor Ra's had not attended, as he had too many responsibilities as ruler. In fact, the emperor hadn't even stayed to talk to Tim after his chat with Bruce where they arranged the marriage. Ra's had signed the papers and left, stating that he would be back a week before the wedding to finish the necessary arrangements.

It was Nyssa (without her husband) who attended Timothy's debut, handing out the gifts on his father's behalf (sparkling emeralds, tailored dresses, makeup brought from Nanda Parbat, exotic flowers, perfumes, everything a debutante could wish for).

Tim, in his pompous bright pink dress, his face painted and his neck encircled by jewels, hadn't known how to react.

The reddish cheeks and the crystalline eyes, weak voice when thanking the gifts of the family to the Ghul, the stomach knotted even in the festive atmosphere.

Everyone knew that they were going to marry the prince, anticipating his debut was only so that the situation did not look so drastic.

(Ra's was fifty-two, Tim was still sixteen).

That night King Bruce began the dance with his son, who would no longer have the freedom to dress as he wanted and go out riding in the morning. In a matter of weeks, Tim would lose all authority over his own life.

It wasn't just about being forced to wear a dress or take a female role, it was about getting him away from Gotham, which mean that, just as Talia had been subject to Bruce, Tim would be subject to Ra's.

In the wee hours of the morning, in his gorgeous wrinkled pink dress and ruined lipstick, Timothy allowed himself to cry in his mother's arms.

*

*

Ra's was a gentleman despite his absence, sending gifts every week as a sign of courtship and keeping his embassy in Gotham, keeping an eye out for anything that might happen.

The gifts were overwhelming to Tim, who did not bother to open most of them, knowing that he would have to put them back days before the wedding to take them to Nanda Parbat.

When Nyssa revisited the palace (shortly after Tim turned seventeen), with a short letter written by the emperor's fist with demands on the ceremony, Tim knew that his time was running out.

The carrier gave himself the luxury of destroying a few presents, throwing them into the fireplace furiously.

*

*

Ra's returned five days before the wedding, but he didn't bother to approach Tim to talk or even to meet him.

The blue-eyed boy didn't know whether to take offense or not.

*

*

As embarrassing as it sounded, the wedding was arranged to be coordinated with Tim's ovulation.

Therefore, three months after having had his debut (four months after the emperor's visit), the carrier was awakened two hours earlier than usual to be prepared for his wedding.

_His big day._

They gave him a long, hot herbal bath, scrubbing his hair and washing his face vigorously to get rid of any blemishes.

(For better or for worse, Tim had undergone waxing the day before. It had been painful, humiliating; but it was a Gotham custom, and even though Tim had been grooming his eyebrows since he was twelve, it wasn't the same as getting plucked with thread and ash from top to bottom.

If not for his mother telling him the latest court gossip while the process was taking place, Tim probably would have beaten the maids mercilessly.)

They took him out and wrapped him in hot towels and made him sit on a chair in the middle of his room. It was then that Tim noticed that two of the maids were not his, but the ones that had come with Nyssa. The carrier looked in terror at his companion, Stephanie, who only shrugged.

Instead of the olive oil used in Gotham, Nyssa's maidens filled his face with a fresh-scented, lumpy white cream that his skin immediately absorbed, causing Tim to put a hand to his cheeks at the sensation so soft that he now had.

Nyssa's maids made him remove his hand from his face and held him to begin working on his skin.

White powders lighter than the one used on Gotham fell on his skin and tapped into place; when the women seemed satisfied, they made him open his eyes and outlined the inner part of the eyes with a kind of black chalk.

It was strange and Tim wanted to close his eyes, but one of the women told him not to do it or they would have to start again. She also told him that what they were using was kohl, a multipurpose makeup that he would use since today as dictated by the tradition of Nanda Parbat.

Tim didn't understand what she meant by multipurpose until they covered his eyelashes with powdered kohl with a brush, and then drew his eyebrows with a wooden toothpick. Well, the prince admitted that this material was quite practical, perhaps he could take a liking to it.

The eyes were terminated after covering his lids with bright green shadow, and moved to his cheeks, which were smudged with petal powder until they had a false blush that highlighted the cheekbones.

The final detail was to paint his lips with the most intense crimson red Tim had ever seen, to the point that he was terrified of staining his teeth when he spoke.

Nyssa's maids set him free, allowing Steph and Tim's other servants to do the rest.

The first thing was to put on his underwear (something he was allowed to do on his own, thank you), then the silk stockings. Once finished, he let Stephanie tuck him into a particularly tight, hard corset that took the air out of him in exchange for reducing his waist (being a carrier, Tim had no breasts to highlight, and he wouldn't have them until after giving birth).

The corset was followed by the petticoat and then a crinoline. After giving him the go-ahead, they finally put the wedding dress on him. An immaculate white that covered from the middle of his neck to the wrists and ankles, made to his measures and as pompous as the one of his debut had been, only with a much longer train and embroidered with flowers.

They put his shoes on and made him sit down again to brush his hair and coat it with oil. Tim had started growing his hair long since his marriage was announced, but his hair had failed to reach past his shoulders, so they could only brush it smooth and then fasten the veil with a tiara pinned to his head.

The only jewelry they put on the prince was some diamond earrings that Selina had inherited for Tim to take to his new home, and speaking of Selina ...

His mother appeared just when he had finished scenting himself with floral perfume, and although he looked beautiful and motherly with little Helena in her arms, there was enormous sadness in her eyes.

They did not exchange words as they descended the stairs to the entrance of the palace, where King Bruce awaited them with a carriage prepared to escort Tim to the Church.

The walk was silent, with the bride rumpling the skirt of his dress and clenching his teeth.

And like everything in life, the trip came to an end. Selina descended first to enter the Church and, after her, the king stepped out of the carriage to offer his hand to Tim.

The carrier took a deep breath, mentally counting to ten before standing up and accepting the king's offer, who allowed Tim to hang onto his arm to guide him to the altar.

The steps were slow and weak, with Tim staring at the ground and trying to ignore the whispering from those present. Doing his best not to raise his eyes and meet the emperor.

But what had to happen happened, and Tim felt his father release him. The prince raised his head and was face to face with the green-eyed ruler, whose features remained expressionless.

Tim stood in front of his future husband and squeezed the bouquet of white flowers tightly as he tried to focus on the priest's words. Contrary to the wedding of Bruce and Talia, this time the sermon seemed to go quickly and without pause. Before he knew it, Tim had to mutter a " _Yes_ " when the priest asked if he accepted the union, raising his hand so that the emperor could place a shiny gold ring on his finger.

There were no votes.

All Ra's said was a " _Yes_ " almost as inaudible as Tim's.

"You may kiss the bride," the priest reported, ending the ceremony that united the prince and emperor as a couple.

Ra's stepped forward, carefully removing Tim's veil and, for a moment, inspecting his face as if it were the first time that they'd seen each other.

To some extent, it was.

The green-eyed man frowned for a thousandth of a second before taking Tim's face between his hands, drawing him to his person and then placing his lips on the boy's forehead in a tender and soft kiss.

The Church was filled with applause and whistles; Ra's took Tim gently by the hand and began guiding him towards the exit steadily without looking back.

They climbed into the carriage covered in rice and flower petals, not bothering to see the pigeons flying overhead.

And when the door was closed and the horses began to move, Ra's let out a huge, deep breath.

"God, this is crazy," he spat out through a wrinkled nose and a voice full of disgust.

Tim could only blink.

*

*

There was no banquet, instead, they were directed directly to a palace between the borders of Gotham and Nanda Parbat. Many years ago, that palace had been the secondary home of the royal family, full of princes and princesses who never reached the throne. But as time progressed, they disappeared or moved to another house, leaving the castle abandoned.

Early the next day, Tim would leave for Nanda Parbat. Today it was time to spend the night in that place full of ghosts.

Contrary to what the prince expected, Ra's disregarded him as soon as they reached the place, leaving him surrounded by servants and having no idea what to do.

Unsure about his decisions, he asked the housekeeper if the emperor had left something planned, to which they replied that he had only asked not to be disturbed. The servants didn't even know if the master wished to have lunch or dinner, so they asked Tim.

Even with the dress so tight and the confusion of the moment, Tim decided that eating was a good idea and he was guided to the dining room where he was accompanied by a butler and a couple of maids.

But Ra's did not appear.

Even more confused, he asked a maid to help fix his makeup and asked for a half glass of red wine, just to steel himself. Having done all that, he went to find the emperor in his designated room, where he found him sitting on the bed and reading calmly. He hadn't bothered to remove his cape or sword.

"Excuse me, your majesty" Tim said softly, closing the door behind him.

Ra's calm face changed to an uncomfortable one.

“I'm very sorry, Timothy. I forgot to tell the housekeeper to guide you to your room. "

The carrier cocked his head.

"Forgive my confusion, but shouldn't we sleep together?"

Ra's seemed to choke on his own saliva and dropped the book in his hands.

"Timothy ..."

The blue-eyed boy felt nervousness creep up his stomach.

“I mean intercourse, of course. I'm not forcing you to sleep with me,” Tim said as nonchalantly as he could, doing his best to mimic Selina's arrogance and her controlled voice.

Ra's stood up and coughed hard, regaining that air of authority and bitterness Tim remembered seeing as a child.

"I need air," the emperor declared before stalking out of the room, olympically ignoring his spouse as he passed him.

The door opened and closed again and Tim rolled his eyes before pulling his hair in stress.

This was ridiculous.

*

*

Tim waited in the room, but Ra's never showed up. All Tim got was a backache from sleeping in the corset and an irritated face from not removing his makeup.

Oh, and when they left for Nanda Parbat?

Each one went on his own carriage.

*

*

Tim was given a huge room full of luxuries and a whole retinue of maids and servants, as well as complete freedom to move around in Ra's ostentatious palace.

He was also assigned a knight for his protection, as well as a guide to his new life, a certain Lady Shiva whose role was to instill Timothy in the life of the court and, most importantly in those moments, to plan his coronation as empress.

The whole thing was overwhelming, and Tim spent the first three days back and forth, being introduced to hundreds of people and receiving gifts and with Shiva's voice telling him to straighten his back.

It wasn't until the fourth day that Tim opened his eyes and had a thought hitting his mind like a bucket of cold water:

Their marriage was still undone.

That day, Timothy used all his authority to demand that Ra's (who managed to never see his new spouse even by mistake) open the door of his study.

"I want them to leave," he snapped furiously as he entered with arrogant footsteps, the skirt of his dress flapping as he clutched the fan in his hands.

The ministers present stared in disbelief at the emperor, who looked at Tim in confusion before nodding.

"Stand back. And close the door. "

When the last man emerged, Ra's stood up, leaving the safety of his desk and clearing his throat.

"Is something wrong, Timothy?" he inquired with a tone of genuine concern.

And Tim himself was worried like he had never been before in his life.

The carrier had a duty to perform, he was far from his family, from his home, all because the man in front of him needed to fulfill one of those stupid and outdated conditions to secure a damn alliance.

The blue-eyed man had made peace with his reality, he was willing to do whatever it took to protect his people, to play the role that heaven had imposed on him.

But he couldn't do it if Ra's refused to do his part.

"I came here to give you a child," he said without qualms, lifting his chin and pursing his lipstick, "But I don't see how I'm going to get pregnant if you refuse to sleep with me."

Tim expected many reactions from the emperor to this, from a slap to a call to the guards. He didn't expect to see the man blush and turn his back on him, growling under his breath.

"So that's it," he muttered almost wearily.

Tim had to bite his tongue to think through his words.

"Am I so disgusting that you can't bear to sleep with me?"

Ra's seemed to panic and turned again, green eyes wide and brows furrowed.

"Don’t put words into my mouth," replied the older man before realizing that he had raised his voice, then he cleared his throat to regain his composure, "What made you think that?"

_Was it serious?_

“He hasn't come to my bedroom once. I cannot bring a baby out of nowhere, my lord,” the carrier spoke with less confidence than he had at first, feeling slightly intimidated at the way the emperor was beginning to purse his lips and fold his arms.

"... No, you really can't," the older conceded before returning to sit at his desk, where he opened a nearby bottle of wine and poured himself a glass up.

Tim opened and closed his mouth in surprise before looking around, wondering what he should do at a time like this. After all, he was now the emperor's consort.

Ra's downed half a glass in one gulp while Timothy played with his fan, glaring at him nervously.

Then the emperor spoke, slightly calmer and somewhat softly.

"You are a child," Ra's said as if he didn't believe it.

Tim approached the desk, intrigued.

"Won't you sleep with me until you consider me an adult?" he dared to ask cautiously, wondering if his age really bothered the monarch so much or if it was an excuse.

The green-eyed snorted.

"I don't think it's wise to waste any more time, I'd like to see my son born before I lose my hair," he commented before drinking the rest of his glass.

The carrier placed his hands on the desk leaving his fan aside and put his face in front of his husband's.

"So…?"

Ra's looked at him again, but this time it was not with indifference or annoyance, but with mischief and malice.

“You are very beautiful, make no mistake about it. But contrary to what you might believe, I am not entirely comfortable sleeping with a child. "

 _A child, my goodness!_ As if women Tim's age weren't being exposed from dance to dance like a piece of meat to get them a husband.

"I'm afraid that if you wait for me to be older, you might die in the process, Your Majesty," the carrier whispered, testing the waters.

Ra's response was a kiss; a real kiss, on the lips.

Tim got so flushed and nervous that he ran out of the study.

*

*

Unsure about what would happen next, Tim woke up in his room the next day with a slight headache and homesickness starting to hit him.

He missed his mother, who always knew how to fix his life. He missed his brothers, with everything and the authority they were in his life. He missed Helena, even if he had just been a bunch of sheets and crying.

He missed his father, the palace he knew by heart, his maids, and the food.

(He missed not having to worry about getting pregnant by a man who was apparently convinced he was married to a child.)

While they were dressing him, a maiden handed a letter to the future empress, who raised an eyebrow in curiosity when he heard the girl say that it was a message from the emperor, who invited him to have breakfast with him in the main garden.

Tim opened the letter and felt his cheeks burn.

_“Between your breasts are burning villages,_ _  
millions of graves,  
wrecks of sunken ships  
and armor of murdered men.  
None of them have returned.  
All those that passed through your chest  
they disappeared  
and those who stayed until dawn  
they committed suicide.”_

"Tell the emperor that I will gladly accompany him to breakfast."

*

*

It was an unannounced and unprecedented change that Ra's began to… woo him.

There was no other word to describe what the man did, it was a courtship. And it was ridiculous, because they were already married.

The gifts and the jewelry and the poetry weren't going to get Tim pregnant, but ...

"Your Majesty, this was not necessary," Tim whispered as he received the bouquet of red flowers from his husband, who had entered their room unannounced just as Tim planned to go to bed.

Ra's was still in his fancy clothes (with his bloody emerald cloak) while Tim was wearing his long, decorous white nightgown.

It was quite a provocative imbalance, and it reminded Tim of the night he saw his father appear in the room to demand to be alone with Selina. It was the kind of setting where a man like Ra's could simply take his consort as he pleased, take (demand) what had been delivered to him.

But Ra's didn't do any of that, instead he kissed Tim’s hand gallantly and pulled him into a warm hug, placing his chin on Tim's hair, who was still holding the flowers to his chest, burying his nose in them to inhale their sweet aroma.

With his voice deep and raspy, the monarch began to whisper softly, as if he were praying.

_"The rain was generous to you when it fell,_

_time of arrival in Al-Andalus_ _  
your arrival was not more than a dream,  
mind-blowing dream that arrived as a stealthy thief  
When he began to move subtly, he exterminated young women with his elegance, my love with his beauty is amazing If I give myself for him, will he come?_

Tim raised his eyes, meeting those emeralds that until nights ago, refused to see him. And he could see the desire, the passion they were trying to hide. And for a moment, Tim wanted to taste that passion, he wanted to feel it and hold onto it.

_  
_ _In a minute he captivated me in a garden and among hills, even the branches made prisoners of his love when he sang._

_It is my promise and the one who confuses me, there is no one who takes pity on my prayer, or on my torture of love, except the owner of beauty._

"My lord, I..."

Ra's raised his hand and placed two fingers on the carrier's lips, ordering him to be silent.

"Come with me to the library tomorrow."

It was an order, but it was said as a request.

"Of course."

*

*

"You are very young," Ra's whispered one night as they played chess.

Tim closed his fan tightly.

"You already knew that when you married me."

"Of course, but it doesn't change that you're so young."

The rain beat against the window, the wind blowing loudly and cooling the candlelit room little by little.

"Have you ever slept with someone younger than you?" the carrier mocked with smiling lips, crossing his legs under the skirt so that the movement was visible through the fabric.

If he was lucky, maybe tonight he would be able to seduce his husband and end the silly game he was up to.

"Only with my wife, but I was that age too," the emperor admitted before moving another piece.

Tim stopped smiling.

"It was not my intention…"

"It’s fine, she's been dead for several years."

"You must have loved her very much, that is, your mourning for her was quite long ..."

Ra's looked away for a few seconds before closing his eyes and collapsing heavily on the couch.

"Yes, I loved her deeply."

Tim moved his own piece, snatching one of his husband's.

If he was honest, he was extremely curious about what it would really be like to be in love with someone.

*

*

"Dance with me," Tim asked, senses groggy from wine as he gazed at his husband with crystal eyes.

They were at the ball in honor of the carrier's coronation as empress, who now had a heavy diamond-encrusted crown on his head and a precious ruby cape on his shoulders. He was now Empress of Nanda Parbat.

Ra's glanced at him and continued to watch the dance with his usual serious and arrogant face.

"I don't think you can stand up with all the drinks you've had."

"I was bored…"

“Stand up straight, Timothy. The whole court is watching us. "

The carrier snorted and pressed his back against the throne support, crossing his arms and wrinkling his nose.

"I'm going to leave you alone here and dance with someone else."

"Timothy ..."

"I'm serious. I'm going to stand up and dance with your finance minister, that Slade guy who's getting on your nerves so badly ... "

The emperor made a grunting sound before standing up and offering his hand to the newly crowned empress.

“A dance, Timothy. Only one."

But as soon as they walked onto the dance floor holding hands, they both knew that a single song wouldn't be enough.

*

*

The emperor was very handsome.

Well, maybe not. Or maybe yes. Tim wasn't sure, he just knew that, from one moment to the next, Ra's began to feel much more attractive and handsome during their encounters.

The man wasn't doing anything different, he was still slow and chivalrous and emotional distance; but for some reason Tim couldn't stop looking at him, a strange sensation invading his stomach.

Ra's was… Ra's.

The carrier wondered where the emotion came from, was it because of all the letters full of poetry? For all the chess games at night? For all the flowers invading the palace?

Or was it mere instinct? Could it be his body screaming at him that he had to rush to get the heir the alliance needed?

"Is something wrong?" asked the green-eyed man when he saw Tim nervously undo a flower in the middle of the library, surrounded by books and old novels.

(They were love stories).

"No. Nothing is wrong with me, ”the empress replied before plucking another petal.

_He loves me, he loves me not…_

*

*

“I've been here for seven months now,” Timothy commented one day as they walked through the palace grounds on what the servants called 'the daily rendezvous', as there was no occasion when they did not take their walk among the flowers at least once.

(It had been Tim's idea, who insisted they needed to get to know each other if Ra's really planned to treat the matter as a prologue courtship.)

"Do you miss your home?" the monarch inquired in a calm voice, but his eyes looked restless (and Ra's had no right to look restless; he was not who the ladies of the court called sterile and useless).

The carrier shrugged.

"Not too much, I guess," he admitted, "Although... I think I'd have less time for nostalgia if I were busy with a baby, you know," he dared to say with haughty eyes. Ra's didn't flinch in the least. At this point, the blue-eyed demands about consummating the marriage were slipping off him like nothing.

"You can visit Dusan's wife, she will soon give birth to her second child."

Tim let go of Ra's' arm and turned to bury his nose in the garden flowers, ignoring the “ _Ttt_ ” the emperor made in annoyance.

"I came here to bear children, not to be treated like a spoiled princess."

Then two large and strong hands pulled him around the waist, causing him to fall into the arms of Ra's who buried his face in Tim's uncovered neck, his beard scraping the boy's cheek.

Tim reddened, closing his eyes as he noticed how his chest crashed against his husband's and saw the way the emperor could simply cover him with his body.

Ra's spoke; deep voice with a marked accent.

"More than a princess, you are a demanding queen."

*

*

One especially cold morning, the emperor had to miss their breakfast together. There were more important matters that occupied his attention.

And when Tim felt his heart clench at the news, he knew he was lost.

(Not even all the novels in the library could answer his questions...)

*

*

Several weeks later, an attack took place in the palace. To be specific, an attack on Ra's.

The culprit was already imprisoned and awaiting trial (an enemy soldier who had disguised himself as a servant), but the emperor laid in bed, with a fever and a deep wound in his abdomen caused by the opponent's sword.

Tim felt his hands tremble as he passed a damp handkerchief over Ra's' forehead.

For the first time, he saw the lines that covered the strong face. The gray in his hair. The scars on his skin.

Until now, Tim hadn't thought about what his husband's age entailed. What it meant to him as empress, what it entailed for a childless consort.

"Don't you dare die, damn you," he muttered, his voice cracking and feeling tears pour out of his eyes, taking Ra’s’ hand between his own and drawing it to his own heart.

“You have no right to do this to me, do you hear me? You have no right to die in front of my eyes,” he said with anger and sadness at the same time, his knees shaking.

They were married.

Ra's couldn't just die, not like this.

No when…

"Timothy ..." Ra's muttered between delusions, his eyes were still closed and his face was full of sweat.

He was hallucinating.

"Don't you dare die, Ra's," the carrier ordered through tears.

Contrary to logic, Tim was not concerned about what might happen if Ra's died now that there were no children in their union.

In fact, Tim was really freaking out at the idea of Ra's dying. It wasn't about the death of the emperor, or the alliance with Gotham, or his duty as consort, just…

He just wanted Ra's, his husband, to survive.

"I'm an idiot," the carrier chided himself.

An idiotic teenager who had fallen in love with the husband that had been imposed on him. Of his husband who laid in a bed on the brink of death. Of his husband who continued to mourn the death of his first wife and who looked at him like a child in a dress.

And Tim had fallen in love with all the strength and innocence of first love.

*

*

Ra's survived, but the doctor recommended a break from his responsibilities.

For that reason, the emperor and his consort were in a castle far from the capital, enjoying a newly arrived spring without the hassle of ministers or court ladies with their requests and demands.

“I haven't seen Talia since our wedding,” Tim stated as he served tea on the library balcony.

Ra's, who looked much better than when he was dying, nodded.

"She was furious with me because I agreed to marryou... Now she lives on the border in a small mansion together with her knight."

The carrier blinked.

"Does she live alone…?"

The emperor shrugged.

“Dusan already has two children and Nyssa managed to get pregnant again. I don't see the point of forcing Talia into another marriage where she is humiliated for something beyond her control."

"That's ... Generous, I think."

Ra's just sipped his cup of tea in silence.

*

*

This castle was much smaller and thinner-walled than the one in the capital, so it was no surprise that Ra's found Tim within minutes of hearing a strange noise from a couple of rooms.

In the middle of the living room, Tim had scratched the curtains and ripped the cushions and smashed a couple of chairs.

His long hair was disheveled, the kohl in his eyes was ruined, and her chest rose and fell at the uncontrollable crying.

"Timothy ...?"

The carrier threw himself at him furiously, a letter firmly crumpled in his fist.

"This is your fault!" he screamed in despair, striking the emperor's chest angrily, but weakly.

Like a wounded animal.

"Timothy, I don't know what you're talking about," the older tried to calm him down as he held the carrier’s hands in his, stopping him without much difficulty.

Tim jerked out of the grip so that he fell backward, collapsing onto his side and crying louder still.

“My father thinks I am sterile! All my people believe that I am a weak carrier who cannot fulfill his only duty!"

"Timothy, please ..."

“I am not the problem! You are the one who refuses to touch me!"

Ra's approached the boy, kneeling to reach out his hand and caress his face.

"I'm sorry about this, Timothy."

Tim closed his eyes.

"I don't even know why I fell in love with you."

The elder did not answer, but took the carrier in his arms and carried him to his room, where, after so many tears, he fell fast asleep.

*

*

When they returned to the palace, the murmurs about Tim's inability to conceive became even louder.

How was it possible that even being away from the stress of court, he couldn't get pregnant?

But Tim didn't tell Ra's how much all of that bothered him, nor did he tell him about the letters that came and went where Bruce demanded an explanation. Or Selina's worrying letters advising Tim to flee before Ra's decided to divorce.

There even came a letter from Jason, written in a foreign language where he casually remarked that he had found a knight who looked identical to Emperor Ra's except for eye color.

_"Maybe you would be interested in meeting him, he is younger than your husband, but he has the same bearing ..."_

Tim said nothing, just burning the letters and taking his anger out on the flowers that Ra's kept sending to his room every morning.

And despite the emperor's requests, Tim stopped attending their meetings in the gardens and eating breakfast and playing chess and everything else.

*

*

Ra's did not expect to receive a letter from King Bruce asking for his son the way he did.

Direct, without greetings, demanding to know what was happening with the couple and above all, demanding to know why Tim did not respond to his letters.

The green-eyed man took his time to read calmly and analyze what was written on the page, especially the last part.

_“If my son has been unable to give you what you want, be kind enough to at least put him back where he belongs._

_You and I will manage on our own, but have the decency to free my son just as I freed your daughter."_

He was not sure if it was all the tension accumulated in those months or the fact that he knew that Tim had been hiding him that messages were coming from his father or if the idea of having the presence of someone he considered his own or ...

Or the fact that he loved his husband. That he loved and adored that young man so proud and beautiful who challenged him like no one else had.

That young man who despite his inexperience and youth managed to surprise him, that young man whose eyes managed to hypnotize him. He loved him, he had done it from the moment he saw him enter the Church, dressed in immaculate white and with the delicacy of an angel.

Ra's tossed the letter to the floor and hurried out of his study, almost running until he found the door to Tim's room, who was sitting on the bed reading peacefully, surrounded by shattered flowers and trampled poems.

Tim looked beautiful, with his usual grace and big bright blue eyes. And that beauty was not going to be taken away, that beauty now belonged to Ra's, it was only his and no one else's.

Upon entering, he locked the door, shedding his cloak quickly, enjoying the way Tim was surprised and nervously stood up.

"What are you doing…?"

"Timothy, I want you to undress," he ordered in a deep, raspy voice.

The carrier looked at him confused.

"E-Excuse me?"

Ra's closed the distance between them.

"Do you have any idea," he began to speak, grabbing Tim by the waist and forcing him to bring his body together with his, raising one of his hands until he found the ribbons that held the dress in place, "how hard it was to not tie you to my bed at our wedding? Do you have any idea how hard it has been for me not to raise your skirt and take you until you scream my name? Do you know how much I wanted to ruin your beautiful face and hear you beg for my touch?"

Tim took a hard breath, holding onto the older's shoulders and gasping as his emerald dress began to slide, revealing the corset and bare arms.

Ra's tossed him onto the bed, riding on top of him and brushing his lips over the white exposed neck.

"You don't know what torture it was to have you in front of me, demanding that I fuck you until you were pregnant," he growled vulgarly, lowering the dress to Tim’s waist so he could begin to pull on the corset laces.

Tim was breathing hard, cheeks red and hands shaking as they pulled Ra's by the shirt, eyes sparkling and spreading his legs under the cloth, letting the older one stand between them.

"I had to repeat to myself that you were a child, that I had to be patient, that it was an abuse to think of a man my age sleeping with someone as young as you..." Ra's bit Tim's earlobe, making him moan shamelessly, "I had to remember all the stories of teenagers dying in childbirth so as not to put yourself against the wall and make you mine... "

The carrier stopped him, taking the older man's face in his hands and bringing it closer to his, stealing a short and chaste kiss before hiding his face on the older man's neck to lower his hands and open his shirt with a pull, breaking the buttons and straining his small, cold hands on his husband's chest.

"My duty," Tim whispered in a high voice, "is to give you all the children you want, my lord."

Ra's allowed himself a smile before ripping the corset off completely.

"Your father says he wants you back ..."

The empress groaned in need as a hand covered his chest, squeezing with cheek and lust.

"It's a shame the news gets to Gotham so late, I don't think he knows yet that my husband is pregnant."

Their lips met again and the monarch's hands undid the dress completely.

A couple of weeks later, King Bruce received a letter informing him that there must have been some misunderstanding, because the consort of Emperor Ra's, the carrier named Timothy, had a confirmed pregnancy and that it was going perfectly.

Despite the confusion, the Gotham court rejoiced, sending an embassy to congratulate the couple and sending their best wishes and gifts.

And decades later, when Prince Anthony al Ghul ruled the Metropolis colony and established eternal peace between Nanda Parbat and Gotham, they would talk about the miracle that was the birth of Prince Timothy.

**Author's Note:**

> My twitter: @mistressofvos


End file.
